(1). take place 表示“发生、举行、举办”,一般指非偶然性事件的“发生”,即这种事件的发生一定有某种原因或事先的安排,例如:
Great changes have taken place in our hometown during the past ten years. The Olympic Games of 2008 will take place in Beijing.
(2) .happen作“发生、碰巧”解,一般用于偶然或突发性事件,例如: What happened to you? (一般不说:What did you happen?) Maybe something unexpected happened. I happened to see him on my way home.
= It happened that I saw him on my way home.
(3). occur作“发生、想到、突然想起”解,其意义相当于happen,例如: What has occurred? (=What has happened?)
A big earthquake occurred (=happened) in the south of China last month. It occurred to me that she didn’t know I had moved into the new house.
(4). break out意思为“发生、爆发”,常指战争、灾难、疾病或者争吵等事件的发生,也可以表示突然大声叫喊等,例如: Two world wars broke out last century.
A fire broke out in the hospital in the mid-night.